August 2025 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase

O’Toole’s was packed August 18, 2025 for the VOCAL Showcase featuring songwriters Jim Puckett, Mark Daniel, Steve Nuckolls and Norman Roscher. The Guinness was flowing, and fish and chips, onion rings, Shepard’s Pie, salads and burgers were dished out to the enthusiast crowd of friends, family and diners. VOCAL president Matthew Costello and VOCAL vice president John Ellis tweaked the sound system before the Showcase started.

Jim Puckett

First up was Jim Puckett, who started his set with his song Riverside. Jim’s song was recently awarded VOCAL 2025 Song of the Year in a two-way tie with Steve Nuckolls, whose song One Half of the Man and a Dog was also awarded 2025 Song of the Year.

Riverside is an intriguing, moody song about hidden love and murder, “…over the railroad tracks…..well away from the preying eyes….where the secrets hide….where the weeping willow cries”. Spooky stuff, and well presented with Jim’s deep vocals and deft guitar picking.

Jim’s next two songs lightened the mood, with Breaking Ground…”it hits me that I love her in the super market line”, followed by what Jim described as a silly love song, with the lyrics ”…green bananas, taco shells and wine…”.

Mark Daniel

Next up to the stage was Mark Daniel, VOCAL 2025 Songwriter of the Year winner, in a three-way tie with Matt Manion and Steve Nuckolls, who were also awarded VOCAL 2025 Songwriter of the Year.

Mark opened his set with White Plastic Fences, an upbeat, clap-along song that describes a place “…where cows used to be…” but where now “…stands a planned community…”, with the catchy chorus “….white plastic houses, it’s a white plastic world, where you get more nuts than squirrels…” A place with a bad HOA, and “…you can’t fly your flag on a Sunday...there ain’t no way….”

Mark continued with two more songs, the first about a character who “…woke up to four gray walls that won’t let me go….” after a bout with whiskey, the devil’s water. Then came The Church That Used To Be, a song Mark wrote after coming across an old, abandoned church that was almost falling down near Williamsburg. In the corner was a piano, with its strings all sticking out, covered in dust. Mark imagined “….how it would sound, with the choir gathered ‘round…” and thought of this place that nurtured the love of Jesus, with the long-gone weddings and Sunday pot luck dinners, filled with saints and sinners. Walking away, he could almost hear the hymns Rock of Ages and The Old Rugged Cross emanating from the old structure.

Steve Nuckolls

John Ellis introduced the next songwriter, Steve Nuckolls, who, as previously mentioned, won both VOCAL awards this year. Steve started by telling the audience that many of his songs come from his experience growing up i n Galax, Virginia.

Steve’s first song, At Home on the Backroads, has the vibe of a Willie Nelson or Bruce Springsteen song.

Steve’s lyrics start out:

“Heard a song on the radio about an old dirt road

And it drove me back in time

When my heroes were real and they lived nearby

And they were friends of mine”

The chorus speaks of memories of watching over the land, a pride of place, looking out for each other, and being home on the back roads with friends.

The melody for Steve’s second song, She Remember My Beer, came to him while he was working in his yard.

It’s an ode to a favorite waitress in a special cantina who doesn’t know his name, but remembered his beer, and his hopes that maybe a relationship will develop.

Next come Steve’s award-winning song One Half of the Man and a Dog, about an old shaggy dog that always gives him the side-eye as the dog works a busy road panhandling with his owner.

Steve’s lyrical bridge:

“They get there before the morning rush

Claim their ground and get set up

Catch the divers heading in and out of town

And stay there ‘til the sun goes down”

The lyrics describe the man and dog, both with weary faces, looking like they’re carrying a heavy load. Steve’s high falsetto reminds me a bit of Neil Young.

Steve introduced What If She Likes It, sharing with the crowd that the song is about meeting his lovely wife Janice, who was seated in the audience. Years ago, Janice had been on a date with a bartender at Richmond’s Tobacco Company Restaurant and Steve had the gumption to go up to Janice and ask for her telephone number. He memorized the number on the spot and that led to Steve and Janice recently celebrating their 40^th wedding anniversary. Janice had a sweet smile on her face as she watched Steve sing the song.

Steve introduced his next song The Stars of Ours Shows by asking the audience to imagine “…two young lovers on a mountaintop with a wise man reading their horoscopes.”

He followed that by taking us back to the mountains for his song Praying For a Rocky Top. The first verse:

“ I’m thankful I grew up in this town here in the mountains

Tucked between the treetops and the clouds

I’ve got a birds-eve view of paradise as far as I can see

And the air’s so thin my feet float off the ground”

For the finale of his song set, Steve introduced a fairly new one titled Pedal Steel, which he said was 99% true. “…that Sting Ray bike made by Schwinn painted in Sky Blue, banana seat and longhorn bars and a wide slick rear tire, the shiny metal and mirrored chrome would set the town on fire, had a paper route and mowed some yards saving for the day, I’d pay in cash including tax and ride that bike away.”

The chorus ends with “…thought I was wearing wings being carried by those wheels, never felt so close to Heaven when I would pedal steel”. A fitting end to a set from one of VOCAL’s finest songwriters.

Norman Roscher

Norman Roscher was called up to the stage, where he greeted the appreciative audience by saying “Always a pleasure to play at O’Tooles, and to part of VOCAL”.

Norman first performed a solo set, featuring VOCAL member Gary Shaver on saxophone for one song, and his daughter Melody Roscher on another. Norman then brought up The Clackwells band for several songs, ending the lively set with a song he co-wrote with Glen Habel, Norman’s bandmate in Dog’s New Clothes. Glen was in the audience and came up to share lead vocals with Norman on their song.

A natural showman in long, light-brown hair, mustache, ample beard and colorful tie dye shirt, Norman started his set with his song I’m A Fool, a bouncy number he played on electric keyboard, singing “I’m a fool…just keep fooling around…..walking on a high wire with an unbalanced mind…I’m just a simple man with no big dreams….”. Norman’s obvious talent belied the lyrics.

Norman then invited his ex-wife Charlotte up for his next song, the popular “So Long Baby Goodbye”. They have been singing together under many different names over the years. For this song, Charlotte sang backup to Norman’s lead, with the old-timey sound of the keyboard providing accompaniment.

Norman amused the audience by telling them “Gary’s going to whip out his horn” for the next song, referring to longtime VOCAL member Gary Shaver and his saxophone. Roamin’ Eyes was the song, and Norman said that when he was writing the song, he was searching for a feeling, and that Gary helped him find it when Gary started in with his soulful sax lines. The song ended and Norman complimented Gary by saying Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had excellent musicians to play with, “…other fine musicians who are into what you’re doing…”, like he had with Gary, and he thanked Gary and the audience in attendance at O’Tooles who came out to hear the music.

The next two songs, If I Should Ever Get to Heaven, and Pictures of Irene, address the difficulty of losing loved ones. “Their memory stays with you forever”, said Norman.

If I Should Ever Get To Heaven was dedicated by Norman to his friend Pete Heiberger, who died in September 2024. Members of The Clackwells sang backing vocals from their seats in the audience along with Norman as he sang. The song was especially moving because Pete’s wife Sonni Gittelman was listening in the audience, and she smiled her appreciation to Norman at the end of the song.

Pictures of Irene was a tribute to Norman’s friend’s mother, who was like “another mother” to Norman. “…I’m looking at pictures of Irene, and it feels like love in a frame, and I’m crying for her love tonight…” After the song Norman said he couldn’t believe he’d never see her again.

Norman next treated the audience to a song written by VOCAL member Bill Wellons entitled I’m Gonna Take My Baby Dancin’. Norman said Bill told him the foot-tappin’ number, which describes a man who takes his baby dancing because she said they don’t go out anymore, was inspired by Norman. “….maybe shake a leg or two…..rat-ta-da-da-da…”

Norman’s daughter Melody Roscher joined Norman for Waiting for the Moon. Norman said it’s one of the favorite songs that he’s written, and has fond memories of Melody recording the song in the studio with him. “Chokes me up every time” he thinks about it. Melody added her ethereal vocals to the dreamy, gentle piano music Norman played and sang.

After the song, Norman noted that Melody wrote and directed a film entitled “Bird In Hand” that was in the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. The narrative feature film will be shown in Richmond on September 25 at 7:00 PM at the Byrd Theatre as part of the Richmond International Film Festival. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Melody splits her time between Brooklyn and Richmond.

Joining Norman for the rest of his set were The Clackwells: Christie Wright (Pistol Clackwell) on drums, Eliza Brill (Slinky Clackwell) on percussion and vocals, and Eliza’s husband Evan Esche (Stinky Clackwell) on upright bass, fiddle and vocals. Deanna Lorianni (Blinky Clackwell), who usually adds vocals and percussion, was out of town this night.

Norman and The Clackwells started with Yer Beautiful, a song of positivity….the title pretty much says it all. Eliza, with two blonde whorls falling over her shoulders from under her baseball cap, strummed the washboard and blew on the kazoo, with Evan joining her on an ooo-ahhh harmony. After the group finished, an audience member yelled out “So are you!”, spreading the beauty back to the performers.

For the next song, The Hat, Norman donned his dazzling multi-colored top hat and coat. He explained that he wrote this song for children and it was part of Dogs New Clothes repertoire. “…I live in my hat….oh lucky me….my hat is the perfect place for me to be…..I’m a magic hat….it grows as tall as a tree…..” Evan energetically plucked his bass on this magical song.

Norman shared with the audience that he was notified many years ago that his next song, Someone’s Droolin Somewhere, had won a spot on an album released as part the local XL102 radio song contest. That was until he received a call the next morning explaining that there had been a mistake someone else had taken his spot on the album. Oy vey! Gary came back up to add his sax to this number, along with The Clackwells. “Someone’s drooling over, you….better believe it!”

Strapping on his guitar, Norman introduced I Don’t Play Doctor Anymore, with Gary again on sax with The Clackwells. Describing this well-loved Roscher classic, Norman said “It never got released, but it escaped.” Christie provided a steady beat on drums while Norman sang about the one game he liked best, playing doctor, “…because that’s the game he played best”. He was determined to be the best doctor in the world. “…You won’t find me with the boys, I’m playing with my doctor’s toys….” “Go Gary…” Norman cried, and the sax notes went flyin’ for the solo. And, finally, “….Now that I’ve grown up, I’ve found what I’m lookin’ for….so I don’t play doctor anymore”.

Sweet Nector, a song about weed, conjured up images of the Virginia hills where Pappy rose at down to care for his beloved pot plants. Then at night ol’ Pappy would enjoy a taste of heaven, and live for tomorrow again.

And the final song for the night was Did I Hear Ya Say, which Norman co-wrote with Glen Habel, who came up to the stage and shared lead vocals with Norman. A great song about friendship and helping each other realize their dreams, with nice harmony from Evan and Eliza.

Norman shouted “Peace and love…..thank you!”, putting a cap on the evening of original music from our local Richmond-area songwriters. Thanks to all who made this possible and to O’Tooles for their food and hospitality!